Real Life Solutions

People on the run often choose a cold breakfast or no breakfast at all because it’s the quickest. In the colder months, however, a cold breakfast simply won’t do. Why not try one or more of these nourishing winter breafast ideas  to help you prepare for your day.

Winter breafast idea #1 – A big bowl of hearty oatmeal is a great choice for a cold winter morning. Oatmeal doesn’t have to take a long time to prepare. Get it started before you get dressed and it should be ready to eat when you’re done. Soak dried fruit such as raisins, cherries or cranberries before stirring them into the bowl to add depth of flavor. Cinnamon or nutmeg would also be good as additions.

Winter breafast idea #2 - Whole wheat bread is better for you than bread made with refined flour. Use whole wheat bread to make French toast or whole wheat flour to make pancakes. Instead of syrup to top your French toast or pancakes, warm up apple sauce and spread it over them.

Winter breafast idea #3 – Barley is a grain often used in vegetable soup but it can also be used to make a warm, nourishing breakfast. Bring 3 cups of water to a boil and then add 3/4 cup pearl barley and 1 teaspoon sea salt. Turn the heat down and cover, allowing the barley to cook for 45 minutes. While the barley is cooking, mix together 1/4 cup honey and 1 cup chopped walnuts. Spread the walnut onto a baking sheet and bake them in an oven set at 350F for 10 minutes. When the barley is cooked, add 1/4 cup brown sugar and 1/4 cup currants. Spoon the walnuts over four bowls of cooked barley.

Winter breafast idea #4 – You can’t find a heartier breakfast than an omelet when it has beans, seeds or nuts added to it. Sauté some onions, then add some precooked black beans and chopped almonds. Beat enough eggs for the number of omelets you’re making and pour that into the onion and bean mixture. Sprinkle fresh herbs and cheese over the top and allow it to finish cooking.

Winter breafast idea #5 – Don’t be afraid to try foods that aren’t traditionally thought of as breakfast foods. A thick, warm rice pudding with fruit can be just the thing you need to fill you up and keep you toasty on the inside. You can also use leftover rice from the night before to make rice with cinnamon and raisins. Heat up the rice in a saucepan and add enough milk to moisten it. Add cinnamon, nutmeg and raisins. Cook this over low heat until its warm and then enjoy it.

Winter breafast idea #6 – Prepare hot chocolate, tea or coffee to finish off your nourishing winter warming breakfast. If you start your winter days with hot food, you’ll provide your body with much needed warmth and give you energy you need for your day.

Using one or many of the great winter breakfast ideas above will be a great way to warm up your mornings and get you off to a great day.

Every woman wants to be considered to be beautiful.  And since so much of this perception is based on their outward appearance, having a clear skin is a priority. While you could spend money on chemical peels, plastic surgery or various skincare products, there are some some key foods for better complexion that you can eat.  You can literally begin eating your way to a better complexion as a way to improve your skin.

It is amazing that diet can play such an important part in not only your physical health but also in how you look. If you have a tendency to eat the typical Standard American Diet (SAD) full of processed foods, too many sweets and too many fats, it will show up in the way your complexion looks. Changing your diet to include fresh and raw foods with specific vitamins and minerals can greatly improve the condition of your skin.

Here are some foods for better complexion that you can eat that are nutrient-dense:

* Red and purple fruits and vegetables contain anthocyanins which are important antioxidants. They are found in fruits such as cherries, blueberries and blood oranges. You can also find them in red cabbage. Anthocyanins are necessary to maintain healthy blood flow to the skin and protect it against ultraviolet (UV) damage.

* Whole grain foods help balance insulin and blood sugar. These foods include whole wheat and brown rice and are important because clinical studies have indicated too much sugar in your system can increase acne. Having excess sugar in your system can also cause collagen not to form properly. Why is collagen important? It works along with keratin to increase the skin’s strength, flexibility and resilience which means it keeps your skin youthful and healthy.

* Tomatoes are another foods for better complexion that you’ll want to add to your diet. Eating them fresh is best because there are more nutrients, but you can get some benefit eating them cooked. The nutrient that’s important in tomatoes is lycopene. This is another antioxidant and having enough of this in your system will help reduce the hormones which lead to acne. They have also been found to lead to smoother skin in some studies.

* Green tea has many healthful benefits. One of them is that it can lower the production of the hormone DHT which causes acne.

* Omega-3 fatty acids found in fish is believed to reduce the chemicals which produce sebum or oily skin and it is one of the top foods for better complexion.

* Vitamin C-rich fruits such as lemon and kiwi – both higher in vitamin C than oranges – are believed to help reduce wrinkles. These fruits also help detoxify the system which can lead to a clearer complexion.

* Water may not seem like it’s important to healthy skin but it is. In fact, if you’re not staying hydrated your skin can look dull and listless.

If you’re hoping to improve your skin, try eating your way to a better complexion. A high-fiber diet is important for adults with acne. You’ll also want to include lean meat, whole grains, seafood and fish.   Try any or all of theses foods for better complexion.  All of these can help improve acne. You may also notice an improvement in your complexion if you avoid high-sugar foods and beverages.

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With all the T.V. shows, computer programs, and video games available now, it’s hard to get kids up and moving anymore. That’s one big reason why childhood obesity is becoming more and more prevalent. Getting your child in shape doesn’t have to be a fight; you just have to find activities they enjoy that are good for them as well. Here are some great workouts that will entertain your kids at the same time.

Below are some fun cardio exercises for kids:

Tennis. If your child isn’t into traditional team sport, then tennis is a great alternative. It gives a great cardio workout while also working various muscle groups and improving hand-eye and overall coordination. Plus, even though your child isn’t necessarily working on a team, tennis is a great way to meet and socialize with other kids.

Hacky sack. This is a simple cheap way to get your kids up and moving. It also teaches coordination, balance, and helps your kids socialize and work together in a group to accomplish something. Plus, unlike most group sports, there are no teams so children are trying to beat their old records instead of trying to win.

Dance. Sure, you can enroll your child in dance classes, or you could just turn on the radio a couple times a week and make up silly dances to go along with the songs. This not only encourages movement, balance, and coordination, it also work out kid’s brains by getting them to be imaginative.

Video games. These have gotten a bad rap in the past few years, physical video games have come a long way since the original Nintendo. Now there are tons of products available that get your child to stand up and move. One popular game series is Dance Dance Revolution. There are also games on the new Nintendo Wii system that encourage physical movement. These are a fun entertaining way for your kids to get a workout while they play video games. And trust me; these are just as addictive as other video games.

Soccer. There’s a reason there are so many soccer mom’s around; because these moms know that soccer is a great way for children to get their heart rate up, improve their footwork skills, learn teamwork, and have fun at the same time. Plus, if you’re worried about the problem of intense competition, there are many areas with leagues that don’t keep score. This has been and still is a great way for your kids to stay in shape.

Swimming. Doing laps is a great way to get an aerobic workout without causing a lot of wear and tear on your child’s growing bones and joints. It’s fantastic and increasing endurance and stamina. Plus, a pool is a great place for them to hang out, play, and meet new kids in the neighborhood during the summer.

Jumping rope. This is a great workout whether it’s done the traditional way, or the newer more faced paced version. This can help your child meet new people, and some areas even have it as a competitive sport.

So why not include some of these fun cardio exercises for kids into your home? You could even get a workout yourself by joining them or just helping them practice regularly.

Does your family have the winter blues? Get them moving with some fun outdoor activities! Here are some ideas for you to try:

Outside Workout

Gather the entire family and go outdoors for a family workout. Mom or Dad can lead the group in a fun outdoor exercise routine. Or better yet play a game of tag football.

Jogging/Power Walk

If you’re tired of being stuck inside, get outdoors for a good jogging or power walking session. Jog around the block or walk a mile or two. You can add light hand weights to work your arms while you’re walking.

Ice Skating

Ice skating is a fun form of winter exercise. When lakes are frozen, ice skaters come out of hiding and get out on the ice for lots of fun. Most kids really enjoy ice skating too.

Snow Shoeing

If you’re tired of jogging and walking, trade your sneakers for snow shoes. Snowshoeing works your leg muscles even more because you have to really lift your legs to be able to walk around.

Hiking

Many people associate hiking only with the summer months. However, winter hiking is a totally exhilarating fitness activity. Don’t forget to bring along your digital camera so you can take pictures of the beautiful winter scenery as you explore!

The last think you want this holiay season is to feel unhealthy.  Here are some great tips for staying fit during the holiays. 

Here are some great tips to help to keep your home healthy! 

Running in the winter requires some special gear in order to stay safe and get the most out of your workout. Fitness companies will try to sell you lots of special, name-brand gear which may or may not be effective or useful. Here is some basic information on essential winter running gear for the upcoming season.

Hat- There are lots of fancy names and types of this basic piece of gear. A wool or fleece hat that is lightweight enough to stuff into your pocket if you get too cold should do fine.

Scarf- A simple wool or fleece scarf can be a versatile piece of running gear. It can warm your neck and prevent frostbite and chapping, but it can also act as an air-warmer if you pull it up over your mouth. It can act as an additional head or ear covering as well.

Be sure to use any or all of the above essential winter running gear to keep yourself as comfortable as possible during your winter runs.

Earmuffs- Depending on your hat’s size and style, you may or may not choose to wear earmuffs with your hat. But if you get too hot for your hat or otherwise don’t have it on during your run, earmuffs will keep your ears warm. It’s a good idea to keep your ears warm – earaches and even dizziness can result from cold wind on and in your ears.

Base Layer- As you dress in layers for your run, experts warn against cotton for a base layer. It tends to get wet with sweat and holds the sweat against your skin. Synthetic fabrics are best for the bottom layer.

Middle Layer- Consider a wicking fabric for your middle layer, like wool or fleece.

Outer Layer- Depending on the weather, your outer layer may need to be something waterproof. At other times, a fleece or wool jacket will do. Just make sure it’s not bulky and provides weather protection as well as mobility.

Shoes- If you run where there’s a lot of ice and snow on the ground, you might want grippers for the bottom of your shoes. These rope-like additions to your footwear help you get a better grip and prevent slipping.

Tights- Rather than bulky sweats, a lot of runners prefer tights instead. This helps prevent wind resistance and may be more effective at wicking moisture away from your skin.

Bras- For women who run in the winter, a good sports bra is helpful. Like your base layer, you sports bra should be made from a wicking material (not cotton), and should offer sufficient support without constriction.

Shorts or Boxers- Wearing an extra layer over your tights can help conserve warmth on your buttocks and upper thighs. Wool is a good material for this “outerwear.”

Here are some great family safety tips that will help to protect you and your family.

Ten tips for the active family to stay safe while on the go

(ARA) – Activities such as soccer practice, football games, student council meetings, volunteer events and parent-teacher conferences tend to fill family schedules in the fall, quickly replacing the lazy days of summer with extracurricular activities. While many find it refreshing for the family unit to get back into a routine, hectic schedules can often lead to miscommunication among family members and a relaxed attitude toward safety.

“Fall brings an abundance of schedule changes and families working to adapt to new routines,” says Rebecca Smith, vice president of marketing for Master Lock. “As each family member strives to balance various activities, it’s essential that families discuss security measures they should take to ensure they safely maintain their busy lifestyles.”

Here are some family safety tips:

1. Secure your home. With people coming and going at different times, each family member should understand the importance of locking all points of entry when leaving, including dead-bolting doors, windows, sliding glass doors and garage/shed doors to bolster your home’s safety.

2. Keep your home active. For periods of time where most members of the family will be away, schedule a dog walker to come over or ask a neighbor to retrieve your mail. This helps to ensure that your home still appears to have people coming and going regularly – a natural theft deterrent.

3. Utilize key safes. Whether you’re storing a house key for children to access after school or for your mother-in-law who baby-sits, a Master Lock key safe will allow them access to your home without the risk of losing a key in transit, allowing parties to enter safely, even if no one is home.

4. Establish a “home alone” routine. If your child gets home from school while you are at work, or if your family is involved in activities on weekends, it’s important to have guidelines for your children to follow when home alone. These include locking the door immediately behind them after entering the house, not spending time outside and not answering the door for any visitors.

5. No notes. Many families leave notes on their front doors to communicate a change in schedule. Communication this important should happen directly via phone call, text message or voicemail – not out in the open for everyone to see.

6. Share schedules. Be sure that your family is aware of each other’s schedules, including work, school and extracurricular activities. Keeping a calendar updated with everyone’s commitments in a common room such as the kitchen will prevent miscommunication about who will be home and when.

7. Create an emergency plan. Every family should have a plan that details what to do in case of an emergency. This should include a list of numbers to call and steps to follow should anything happen to the home while a member of the family is there alone.

8. Communicate with neighbors. Communicate your schedules with a friendly, watchful neighbor you trust and empower him or her as an extra set of eyes and ears, keeping watch on your home when you can’t be there.

9. Set social media rules. In today’s digital age, location-based services are growing in popularity with both kids and adults. Set a family social media policy to limit check-ins and location information being made too readily available online to ensure your family’s schedule does not become too predictable.

10. Secure items on-the-go. Whether you’re headed out for a walk or to a soccer game, odds are you are carrying several valuables including keys, a wallet and cell phone. Secure these items in a small, portable safe secured to a fixed item such as a fence, allowing you to relax and enjoy any activity.

For more security tips and solutions for families on the go, visit www.masterlock.com. Also be sure to apply the above family safety tips into your household

For more home safety tips, visit Real Life Solutions.

It’s that time of year once again.   The leaves are beginning to change colors, Halloween is approaching quickly, the kids are in school and have adjusted, and Thanksgiving is just around the corner.  Creating a traditional Thanksgiving day menu is easier than you think, even for a novice cook. 

When you sit down to plan your traditional Thanksgiving Day menu be sure to start with a shopping list.  For a family of four, a smaller turkey will fit the bill, take less time to cook and still provide plenty of left overs for those delicious cold turkey sandwiches the next day.   A basic list will include the turkey, of course, cranberry sauce, gravy, stuffing, sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes and for some families – green beans and French fried onions for a casserole.  Biscuits or crescent rolls with butter are a great addition as well.  Don’t forget the pumpkin pie and the whipped cream!

To be sure that you have all of your traditional Thanksgiving Day menu items on hand.  Plan your trip to the grocery store in advance.  This will give your turkey plenty of time to defrost if it is frozen and it will also give you time to visit other stores for price checking and bargain huntint.  Always allow the turkey to defrost over the course of a few days in the freezer, rather than sitting it out on the counter for hours.  This will prevent bacteria from developing, which can cause food poisoning.  No one wants food poisoning.  If the turkey is still slightly frozen on Thanksgiving, place the plastic wrapped turkey in the sink and run cold water over it for a while.  This will help speed defrosting. 

After the turkey is defrosted it is time to prep it for cooking.  Preheat the oven to the manufacturers recommended temperature.  Remove the plastic wrapper from the bird and discard it.  Remove the wrapped package that is in the turkey and place it to the side.  This is the innards and the neck and can be used later to make other things.  Rinse the turkey in cold water and remove any remaining feathers by pulling them out.  If they are hard to get out, grab a pair of pliers to remove them.  Pat the turkey dry with paper towels and throw them out.  Place the turkey, breast side up, on a rack in a deep roasting pan.  For a crispy and delicious skin, melt a half stick of butter and brush it on the turkey, making sure to get all of the parts including the wings and legs.  After coating the turkey with the butter, sprinkle garlic powder and black pepper all over the bird, again getting the wings and legs.
 
After seasoning the turkey, place it in the preheated oven.  Checking it frequently, allow the turkey to bake for the correct amount of time as indicated by the label.  Once the skin begins to brown, pull the turkey out for a minute and baste it with 2 cups of turkey broth.  Cover the turkey with foil at this time and return it to the oven.  Baste it every 30 to 40 minutes with the juices from the pan, recover and return it to the oven.  You may be wondering about the stuffing.  Well, for safeties sake, and because crispy stuffing just tastes better, this guide calls for the stuffing to be prepared separately in a baking dish.  Stuffed turkeys can be havens for bacteria and can cause both the stuffing and the turkey to not cook thoroughly. 

Approximately 1 hour before the turkey is scheduled to be done, begin preparing the other dishes.  The stuffing can be made using chicken or turkey broth to add additional flavor.  After preparing the stuffing on the stove top, spread it out evenly in a baking dish and place it in the oven below the turkey.  This will give the stuffing a crispy top layer, with a softer layer underneath. 

If you traditional Thanksgiving Day menu doesn’t include the plain cranberry sause, a delicious alternative is to mix whole berry cranberry sauce with a can of drained pineapple tidbits.  The pineapple adds a unique flavor to the sauce and goes well with the turkey and stuffing.  Another great side dish is a string bean casserole, made with fresh string beans, cream of mushroom soup and topped with crunchy fried onion strings.
 
For the sweet potatoes, a casserole is another great way to go.  After cleaning and taking off any bad parts, take your sweet potatoes, cut them up into 1-2 inch chunks and place in a microwave safe bowl.  Add 3 tablespoons of butter, also in chunks, to the bowl.  Microwave on high for 4 minutes, then stir or mash the potatoes and butter together in the bowl.  Return it to the microwave for an additional 4 minutes, then remove and stir again.  To the sweet potato and butter mash, add cinnamon and sugar to taste, stirring to mix it thoroughly.  Once it is mixed, place the mixture into an oven safe baking dish.  Top with granola and miniature marshmallows and bake for 15 minutes, or until the marshmallows are melted and browned. 

By now, the turkey should be done.  Most turkeys come with a pop-up timer.  If it has not popped yet, keep checking every 5 minutes until it does.  Once the timer is popped, remove the turkey from the oven and put in the green bean casserole and biscuits.  Place the turkey on a safe surface and keep it covered for at least 20 minutes with aluminum foil.  This allows the turkey to rest, reach its maximum cooking temperature and gives the juices a chance to settle back into the meat.  Cutting into a turkey as soon as it is removed from the oven is a sure way to lose all of the juices and get a dry turkey.

After the turkey has rested, and the rest of the dishes have come out of the oven, it is time to carve the bird.  Start by removing the legs and wings.  After slicing with a sharp knife in the joint of each piece, using a bit of force, bend it backward until you hear a crack.  You can then slice through the rest of the way, creating clean cut pieces.  Once the parts are removed, you can begin slicing the breast meat.  Using a sharp knife, slice the meat into thin layers and stack onto a serving dish.  Surround the white meat with the legs and wings and serve. 

Everyone has different variations on their traditional Thanksgiving Day menu.  Any of the above recipes and ideas can be modified for your family’s preferences and dietary needs.  The most important part of preparing for any Holiday meal is not that you enjoy the prep work, the cooking and the eating but that you enjoy spending this important time with your family and friends. 

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